Ardeche pictures

Pont d'Arc, a natural bridge created by an ancient terrible flood. Notice all the people swimming; the water was great!
Watching the kayakers crash and burn through some rapids
Allison, Steph, Her friends Dave and Sally
The birthday girl at the top of a viewpoint
A view down after hiking part way up the gorge.
We actually started down at the river and climbed all the way up the gorge in the boiling heat
Me at the top; I made it!

Camping in the Ardeche

Hey, sorry for the little absence. I was camping in the Ardeche region of France all weekend. The weather has officially exploded over here. It feels like August. It was 31 to 34 degrees all weekend. We got so much sun. Steph got to reunite with her people, ie, the uber-fit and outdoorsy, as we visited a children's summer camp where she used to work and still has friends, so that was good. This was a special birthday celebration weekend as Steph's turned 29. They had to calm down the original planned wilderness trek for Allison and I but we still hiked for hours along the river gorge of the Ardeche river and camped Saturday night. We sweated buckets and stopped several times to swim in the river which was gorgeous. I'll post some pictures soon. I think Steph had a good birthday (best weather she's ever had for it apparently) and it was really cool seeing a new region of France. In the other fabulous news category, Aston has found us the most wonderful apartment ever to live in once I'm back.. 3 weeks til I'll be home in Victoria.

Beach Day

Beautiful Cruzy Countryside

I went with Steph to Cruzy yesterday to go for a wander while she gave an English lesson to her old neighbour. (Remember she lived in Cruzy the first few months she was in France).
View of sky and top of Cruzy's old church

Country lane in Cruzy

Wild field, actually a rarity as it's mostly vinyards as far as the eye can see

Mom, remember these wild poppies growing everywhere? Finally got a pic of them.

This huge tree was in blossom and alive with probably tens of thousands of bees. I slowly walked by, snapped a photo and kept going.

Here's some of those vinyards

I went inside the church...probably the mustiest old church I've been in, and trust me, I've seen a lot of them over here.

5 weeks to go...

I have 5 weeks remaining in France til I take the plane back to BC. It's tough concentrating on my work now. I'm trying not to want to return so badly. I know I should enjoy every minute of my time left, but I'm kind of gone already in my head...

Things I've loved living about living in Narbonne:

-the olympic sized heated outdoor pool, open year round

-sitting outdoors at the Place de l'hotel de ville drinking a coffee

-one hour bike ride to the beach

-(not actually in Narbonne but...) Gruissan village and beach

-my great roommates and other assistant friends

-Cheap and delicious cheeses and wine

-easy access to travel in Europe

-walks/ bike rides along the canal

-truly appreciating my home back in Canada.

There's also tons of things I didn't like but I'll try to focus on the positives today...

all in all...

It was good. Nice lunch, Allison and I hung out in the afternoon. Stephanie and Otalia came home in the evening and we all had pizza and wine then went to pick up a friend of Rahel's at the train station at 11:30pm. She's a Mexican girl, Spanish assistant, who needed a place to stay for the night as she was placed in a little village and no trains ran there at night. She had been visiting Rahel in Switzerland. Soon she'll return back home to Mexico like the rest of us.
Allison and Alina at the Bar a thym
Will and I
Allison made me a beautifully artistic gift. Comic
Card and gift
My beautiful flowers from Aston. Thanks also to Mom for my wonderful trip to Italy and some lingerie, and Dad for a gift certificate for a spa massage back home. Steph also gave me some very pretty earrings and there was some delicious chocolate from Alina. Otalia treated us all to the pizza.

It's my birthday and I just want to stay in bed...

Well. I'm 27 years old today. I honestly am not that bothered by the number of years going up...I think I'm 'aging' ok. But it's hard being so far away from my loved ones. Way more than I expected. I definitely had days like this when I lived in Korea and of course the first time I was in France at 18. I'm homesick...I miss you all. I was so surprised this morning...not that it's surprising to miss family and friends but I was weepy, and I didn't pull it together for work. Hard to teach kids when you're on the point of crying so I talked with the principal and he sent me home. He's a sweet person for all his roaring in the classroom. Aston's sent me beautiful flowers...that helps. Stephanie and Otalia left me little notes (I'll see them tonight) and Louise has sent me a e-card. I always thought when I sent e-cards that they were lame and the person would not care for it. But it's not true; I was happy she thought of me. I'm meeting Allison, Will and Alina for lunch. That will be nice. They're great people. But...I miss the old ones. So drop me a line. I'd love to hear from you.

Recovery Mode

Mom has gone home to Victoria. I'm back in Narbonne. That's the long story short. So many things happened, stuff I planned on blogging about but then time passed and I wasn't able to have access to internet etc. We arrived from Rome in Narbonne Thursday night after all day traveling in planes, trains etc. I got mom and I some cheap flights through easyjet instead of taking the night train again. That was clearly not an option. Friday we had a beautiful day at the beach in Gruissan. Steph kindly drove and Rahel came too so it was the four of us. Mom and Steph dipped briefly in the water but Rahel and I had a good swim in the sea. First swim of the season, yay! I tried out the bikini I bought back during the January sales and it's great, dried off in like 20 minutes. Then Friday night we had the going away party for Rahel, Louise and Wilson. I wonder if I'll ever see them again. I hope so. Anyway I drank too much and was truly ill the next morning to take mom to the airport in Toulouse. So classy, right? I ended up staying in Toulouse because I wasn't able to take the train so Mom actually got home before me, as Steph pointed out. Alls well that ends well I guess.

Mom makes it to the Mediterranean! First time, before we went away to Italy.